I So Called It
by KatPeeta23
Summary: "You know," Peeta whispers, sneaking up behind me to rest his chin on my shoulder. "You are an FBI agent. I so called it." This is the sequel to I Thought It Was All in the Movies.
1. Chapter 1

"Katniss, come here, we need to talk." Agent Paylor says. Of course I took up the offer of being an FBI agent. My ex-boyfriend, Peeta Mellark, he always said I would be an agent. I shake the thought from my head when I feel that pang of remorse. I never should have left. I walk into the meeting room with the rest of my team. "We have a woman who broke out of jail. She's going after her family, and she got one of her daughters, and she nearly killed her. The girl was found unconscious in an alleyway bleeding badly. We need to find this woman before she kills her whole family."

"This is terrible." Boggs grumbles. "I hate people like that. It's her family and her children. Why?"

"We don't know exactly. She has a past. She lost custody of…" she looks down at her clipboard. "Of her son, and she pretended her daughter was dead, the same one that was found in the alleyway."

Oh god, if this is who I think it is, I'll flip. My team is like my family and they've come to my house for dinner multiple times.

"Names, what's the woman's name?"

"Dixie Mellark."

Oh god dammit.

I run my fingers roughly through my hair. "I don't want in on this."

"You don't have a choice."

"Why not?"

"Because, you know all about that family, you know where they live. You know where the kids went to school. You can help us better. You need to be on this case. Katniss, you still love Peeta. You don't want him to die, do you?"

"Who'd she nearly kill, Colby or Cress?"

"Cress."

"Shit," I run my fingers through my hair and sigh. "Alright," I take a deep breath. "Peeta told me his mother was mental. He said she took drugs and all. He said she wanted her kids dead because they were the cause for her divorce. My guess I Dixie is going to kill the kids and kidnap Daniel."

"Well, looks like we'll be doing some traveling." Jackson says.

"Do they know why Cress was attacked?"

"No, they know none of this. Cress is out of the hospital and she doesn't remember what happened to her. She just remember someone hitting her in the head. Someone needs to tell them."

"I think we all need to go and tell them." Gale says.

"Alright, we need to get to them before Dixie does. She's on a roll."

"Where was Cress when she got her?"

"Um, New Orleans."

"Okay, we need to move fast. They live in Evangeline. If she finds them before we do, we're doomed."

...a...

"Why did you and Peeta break up?" Paylor asks. We're on the plane.

"We got into a fight. We got into a fight because he wasn't telling me something. He told me he was sick of me getting into his business. We were like…we were in our first year of college. We broke up when we were eighteen."

"So you haven't seen him since you were eighteen? You're twenty three." Gale says.

"Yeah, I know. Anyways, when he said that I got pissed and I left."

"Well maybe this case will bring you back together."

"Maybe." I sigh.

We sit quietly, making a plan.

"Alright," I load up all of my guns. "I say we knock on the door. If Dixie's mental like Peeta says she is, then she won't find them today. If nobody answers the door, we go in. If she's got them, we just follow procedure."

"And even if she did kill them…" Gale looks at me. "You don't break down until we're out of there and we've got her."

"Right."

We land, and we get in our black SUV's and everyone follows me.

I pull into the driveway and only bring in one gun, just in case. We get out, and I look at everyone. "Ready?" I ask.

"Yes."

We all go to the door, and I ring the doorbell.

We wait a few moments, and I ring it again, and then the door is pulled open by Mr. Mellark.

He stares at me for a very long time. "Well," he sighs. "Yes?"

"We need to talk." We all flash our badges.

"Is this about what happened to my youngest daughter?" he asks.

"Yes." Gale says.

"We need to speak with the whole family.

"Well, everyone is here so…" he looks at me, and then he steps aside.

He leans over and whispers in my ear, "Peeta still loves you. It's not too late."

I look at him and nod. "That's good news." I whisper.

"Hey! All of you need to come down here to the living room right now!" He leads us to the living room ad all of them start coming downstairs. Their eyes widen when they see me, but they must know I'm not here for Peeta.

Peeta comes down, and he stops short. "Um…" he looks at his Dad. "What's going on?"

"Sit down. I don't know yet." Mr. Mellark says. Peeta sits down.

"Okay, what's going on?" Mr. Mellark asks.

"Katniss, how about you tell them?" Gale says.

I scowl at him and Peeta snickers and mutters something to Cress, who laughs.

"Okay…" I take a deep breath. "We have good news and we have bad news." I pause. "The good news is we know who did all of that to you, Cress." Everyone sits up straighter. "And the bad news is…well…Dixie broke out of jail. She was the one that did it. And…she's after all of you."

"Wait, she's after us?" Peeta asks. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is…well I think that she wants to kill all of you and kidnap you because she still loves you. She hates the kids because she's blaming them for the divorce. I think that she was being abusive to you and Cress and Barely because she was blaming you. Cress, she was trying to kill you. Someone stopped her and she ran off. You were lucky."

"So she's going to kill us?" Colby looks terrified.

"No she isn't. She thinks she is, but she isn't. Did you honestly think we came all this way just to warn you guys?"

"No…" she bites her lip. "Where is she?"

"We don't know."

Peeta looks down at his hands. "Well if I know anything about my mother, I know she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants." He looks at me. "That thing I didn't tell you was that I visited my mother in jail. I told her about you…ii told her you make me happy. She knows about you. She knows about your family, and I think she's going for your Dad and Lisa and Katie and Brandon and Prim. One, because she knows you're a federal agent and two, because she knows your Dad knows where to find us."

Oh fuck, shit just got real.

"Dad won't tell." I say. "He'll get killed before he tells. He loves you like his own Peeta. He won't put you at risk for his own good."

"Well we need a plan."

"Well…" I lean back against the wall. "My best bet is she's probably already at Dad's house because he doesn't live far from New Orleans. Right now." I look down at my watch. "The kids are probably getting home from school. Dad isn't home, he's at work. Prim drives and the kids take the bus. Prim always stops at Starbucks on her way home. The bus gets there before she does. Prim should be home in a half hour the Katie and Brandon are probably home."

"What about Lisa?" Peeta asks.

"She's working."

"Hold old is Brandon and Katie?"

"Um…" I bite my lip. "Katie is fifteen and Brandon is like…twelve. No, Brandon is thirteen."

"Do they know where the house is?"

"No."

"Does Prim know where the house is?"

"No. Dad is the only one that knows."

"Well when the kids tell her they don't know where the house is, she'll kill them for sure."

"Well we need to move."

"Wait." I say. "Let's call the house. She'll answer the phone, right?"

"Probably because she's not right in the head so either she will or she'll make one of the kids."

"Actually," I say. "I think I should call Prim. I'm going to tell her to go home. I'm going to give her the address and I'm going to tell her to tell Dixie to come here."

"What? Are you trying to get us killed?"

"No. If she comes here, we can catch her."

"Yeah, I'm in." Gale says.

I call Prim. "Hey Kat." She says.

"Listen. Don't panic okay, just listen to me."

"Um…okay."

"Peeta's Mom broke out of jail. She's probably at Dad's. She's probably got Katie and Brandon. I need you to go home. Go home and tell her the address of Peeta's Dad's house."

"She's going to kill me." She says. "Katniss! She's going to kill me!"

"No she is not! Just tell her what she wants to know!"

"What if she kills me?"

"Then I kill her, okay?"

She lets out a long breath. "What's the address?"

I tell her, and hang up.

"We need a plan for when she gets here, right? You guys do that kind of stuff?" Barley asks.

"Yes." I say.

"And you've already got one, don't you?" Paylor smirks.

"Of course I do." I take my gun out. "We don't' want to kill her. Peeta, does she know we broke up?"

He looks in pain as he answers with just the shake of his head. "Well…if she thinks I'm your girlfriend, then I guess we better pretend I'm your girlfriend."

"Or my fiancé," He says. "She'll know it's legit if she thinks you're my fiancé.

"Well we don't have a ring."

"Just use mine." Paylor says. She hands me her wedding ring and I put it on.

"Wait, that makes you a target, doesn't it?" Peeta asks.

"Yes."

"But we don't want that."

"Just hear me out." I say. "I take your shirt and put it over my clothes and I get a chair and I sit on the porch. She pulls up and tries to kill me. I draw the gun, flash the badge and tell her to drop her weapon. If she doesn't, I shoot."

"And if something goes amiss? What if she shoots you in the head? She's got good aim." Peeta says, and he sounds frantic.

I look at him. "Then I'll be dying for a good cause."

"If she sees the cars, she'll leave." Cress warns.

"We move the cars." I say.

"Wait, what if she doesn't drop the gun? Are you going to kill her?" Rye asks.

"Do you want me to kill her?"

"Do you _want_ to kill her?" Peeta asks. I know that this answer will answer more than one question racing through his head.

"Yeah, I do." I say.

"Why?" he says.

"Because nobody messes with the people that I love."

"Okay, there are a lot of faults in this plan." Gale says.

"Let's hear them."

"Well, she wants you guys dead. She can shoot you from the street. That would be easy. She's fast, so if you draw the gun she can kill you. She can sneak right past you and into the house. She can go around back."

"Yeah, he's right."

"Well…" I bite my lip. "Dammit."

"We should all hide." Gale says.

"Alright, I've got it." I say. "All of you go out someplace. Take the car and leave. Paylor, you go with them as guard and call if anything goes amiss. Gale, Boggs and I will hide. I'll stay in the house. Let her come in. Gale, you go on the roof, Boggs, you hide in here-"

A car door slams outside. "Or we just let her come in. It seems like we don't have a choice now."

"Wait, she needs to make Katniss a target. She'll mess with her the most because she hates Peeta! We need to make Katniss a target! Katniss is good at manipulation!"

"Quick, give me your shirt!" Peeta pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it to me. I pull it over my head.

"Do I look fat in this vest?"

"No, you look fine." Cress snickers.

"All of you guys need to go hide!

My team scatters. I undo my braid very quickly and make my hair all loose and crazy so it looks like I've just woken up. I put the hair tie on my wrist and they flick the TV on. I hear the front door open, and everyone looks afraid. I sit down in the chair and stare blankly at the TV.

A woman who is most definitely Peeta's mother comes walking into the room.

She's not alone.

She's pulling Prim, Katie and Brandon with her. Prim is all calm, but I know she's actually flipping out. Brandon and Katie are crying.

She looks right at me. "You know, I really can't stand you." She says. "I don't understand why you must make my family happy. I want to crush you like a bug. The only reason I went after Cress was so I could kill you. But the thing is…I want you to suffer. I'm going to make you watch me kill your siblings." She pauses and walks out the door, and then she drags Finnick in the room.

She puts a gun to his head.

Shit, what the hell do I do?

"You know, that's a really stupid idea." I say.

She laughs. "Why? You can't stop me. I don't know why your dating-" she looks at the ring on my finger. "Married, engaged, whatever. I don't know what you're doing with him. He's and idiot and he's pathetic."

"So are you, but I don't go saying that to your face now do I?" I ask. I stand up and she moves the gun from Finnick to me.

"Don't move or I kill you!"

"I don't care if you kill me."

"Then I'll just kill him. Peeta, stand up!"

He does, because Peeta will give his life for me without hesitation.

She puts him in a headlock and puts a gun right against his head.


	2. Chapter 2

Well obviously I'm not going to let her kill him. I draw my gun. "Let him go."

"Hell no!"

I pull my badge out of my pocket. "Federal agent. Let him go or I'm going to have to shoot you."

She lets him go, but she shoots me in the chest. I look down. Peeta looks like he's going to die.

"Bullet proof vest."

She hisses. "Bitch."

"Drop your weapon." I hiss. She tightens her grip and moves the head so it's facing my forehead. Paylor comes out of the closet and doesn't get out a single word before Mrs. Mellark moves the gun to Paylor and shoots her.

She shoots her right in the head.

Well, it's not like it's the first time.

Gale and Boggs come out too. And then Jackson.

I don't want to kill Peeta's mom, but I have to, it's my job. Brandon and Katie are screaming. She moves to shoot them but I pull the trigger. Her eyes get all wide, and she drops the gun. I shot her in the stomach. She falls down.

"Kill her." Peeta grits his teeth. "Shoot her in the forehead."

"Do it, Katniss." Cress covers her face. I pull the trigger again.

The rest of the FBI that came with us, that weren't in first class come flooding into the house.

They look at Paylor, who is dead.

"Maybe they didn't shoot her in the brain?" Gale asks weakly. I drop down next to her.

"She's dead, Gale." I say. I check her pulse anyways. "She's dead."

Ambulances come and load up Paylor and Dixie.

One of the EMT's looks at me and says, "You okay?" He points to my chest.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm fine."

They leave.

I look at Jackson, Gale and Boggs.

"We should go." I mutter.

"Let's go." Gale says.

I look at Peeta's family. "Well uh..." I hesitate. "I'm glad you guys are okay."

"Thanks." Mr. Mellark says. "All of you. We had no idea…that she was going to do that. You saved our lives." Gale, Boggs and Jackson stay quiet.

"Well…that's what we do. There's no need to thank us." I help Brandon and Katie up. Prim and Finn are calm. I don't even think they care. I head for the door and Boggs, Gale and Jackson follow. Katie, Brandon, Prim and Finn are walking in front of me.

Cress says something at Peeta and she sounds angry.

"Katniss, can you wait just a second?" Peeta says.

Boggs, Jackson and Gale shoot me a look. I move out of their way. They shut the door behind themselves. "Hang on." He says. He disappears, and I wait by the door, fiddling with my gun.

And then, the idiot I am, I accidentally set it off, right through the window. "Oh my fuck," I walk into the living room. "I didn't mean to do that! Oh god, I'll pay to fix it, I swear!"

"It's fine." Mr. Mellark says.

"No it's really not."

"Yes it is. You just saved my family. I'm not going to let you pay to fix it."

"No, I can't just not-"

"You can and you will." He says. I put my gun away.

"I'm sorry."

He laughs. "It's okay Katniss, really."

"You and Peeta should so totally make babies." Cress says.

"I can't believe I did that." I say. Peeta comes back downstairs. He starts laughing when he sees the window. He hands me a CD.

"Here, I want you to have this."

"What is it?" I ask.

"Just…something."

"Um…okay. Thanks." I give him his shirt and exit.

…a…

It's snowing back home in Boston, Massachusetts. I'm lying on my couch in the dark in a white long sleeve shirt and a pair of worn down sweats, watching the flames in the fireplace.

I've always regretted leaving Peeta because of that stupid fight. Then I had my chance to fix things and I left. Why the _fuck _am I always leaving?

It's early October and I'm twenty three.

Peeta was my first. He wasn't my first kiss, because that was Cato, but he was my first time.

The thing that hurts the most is we had done it the same exact day that I left.

It's like…

God, it must seem like I used him for sex and then just left.

He probably thinks I hate him.

God why am I such a fuck up?

And npot only did I lose Peeta, but I lost Johanna and Annie, too. I haven't spoken to them since that day we broke up.

Even Finn can't stand me.

I still remember Johanna's words before she left.

"_I'm so done! Katniss, until you can get your head out of your ASS and fix this, I can't talk to you." _

_Annie nods in agreement and follows Jo out the door. Finn follows._

The only time I've seen Finn since then is at holidays.

I avoid them at all costs, but when I avoid holidays it upsets Mom.

My only salvation in my fucked up life right now is my job.

When I'm not working, I realize just how depressed I really am.

Why? Why'd I leave? Why'd Jo and Annie leave?

My own brother left me.

My mother even gets annoyed with me now because I'm a fuck up. I look at the disk Peeta gave to me and then I snatch it up and put it in the stereo.

I sit on the floor and wait.

I have the volume turned down. I grab my soft blanket off the couch and sit down on the floor in front of the stereo. I wrap myself up.

"Katniss," Peeta's voice says. "I know this is weird but I never stop thinking about you." He pauses. "I should never have let you go. I should have stopped you. I should have made you listen to me. Letting you leave was the worst mistake in my entire life. Katniss, I'm not stupid. I know you. I know you have regrets too. I know all those times you said you loved me, you meant it. I'm still in love with you, more than ever now, and I've learnt something over all of these years. You don't realize how much you love someone until they're gone."

A song starts playing just then, and I feel a pang in my chest because I know this song. It's Remind Me by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.

_We didn't care if people stared_

_We'd make out in a crowd somewhere_

_Somebody'd tell us to get a room_

_It's hard to believe that was me and you_

_Now we keep saying that we're okay_

_But I don't want to settle for good not great_

_I miss the way that it felt back then I wanna feel that way again_

_[Brad:] Been so long that you'd forget the way I used to kiss your neck_

_[Carrie:] Remind me, remind me_

_[Brad:] So on fire so in love. Way back when we couldn't get enough_

_[Carrie:] Remind me, remind me_

_[Carrie:]_

_Remember the airport dropping me off_

_We were kissing goodbye and we couldn't stop_

_[Brad:] I felt bad cause you missed your flight_

_[Carrie and Brad:] But that meant we had one more night_

_[Carrie:]_

_Do you remember how it used to be_

_We'd turn out the lights and we didn't just sleep_

_[Brad:] Remind me, baby, remind me_

_[Carrie:]_

_Oh, so on fire so in love_

_That look in your eyes that I miss so much_

_[Brad:] Remind me, baby, remind me_

_[Brad:] I wanna feel that way_

_[Carrie:] Yeah, I wanna hold you close_

_[Brad and Carrie]_

_Oh, if you still love me_

_Don't just assume I know_

_[Carrie:] Baby, remind me, remind me_

_[Carrie:] Do you remember the way it felt?_

_[Brad:] You mean back when we couldn't control ourselves_

_[Carrie:] Remind me_

_[Brad:] Yeah, remind me_

_[Carrie:]_

_All those things that you used to do_

_That made me fall in love with you_

_Remind me, oh, baby, remind me_

_[Brad:]_

_Yeah, you'd wake up in my old t-shirt_

_All those mornings I was late for work_

_Remind me_

_[Brad and Carrie] Oh, baby, remind me_

_[Carrie:] Oh, baby, remind me, baby, remind me_

_[Brad:] Yeah, you'd wake up in my old t-shirt_

_[Carrie:] Remind me, yeah, oh_

_[Brad:] Baby, remind me_

I'm crying now.

"Just think about it, okay?" Peeta says. The disk stops.

And I don't know why, but I replay it over and over again.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't know what to do. My only friends are ones from work.

I take the disk out and flip on the light.

His phone number is on the disk. I stare at it for a long time.

Thanksgiving is in a week...I don't want to intrude.

I don't care. I need too.

I don't even pack a bag, I just call my assistant.

Now that Paylor died, I'm head in charge.

"Hey Katniss," Olivia says.

"I need you to call Boggs and tell him he's in charge. I'll be back in a few days."

"Okay." She says. I hang up and go right to the airport.

... ...

It's snowing. I speed all the way to Peeta's house. There are cars of people I don't know in his driveway. It's dark and cold. I know the headlights flashed through the window.

I don't hesitate to get out and walk right up to the door and ring the doorbell.

A women I've never seen before opens the door. "Yes?" She asks.

"Is Peeta here?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah, he is. Hang on just one moment." She walks away and shuts the door. "Peeta, some person is here to see you!" She says.

"Me? Why?"

"I don't know."

Peeta opens the front door and his eyes widen. "Katniss." He says. "What are you doing here? Is there something else?"

I lift my shirt up to show him that I don't have on my bulletproof vest. "We need to talk. Am I intruding? I can go to my Dad's and come back-"

"No!" And his voice is loud in protest.

"Peeta, who's at the door?" Cress comes up behind him. "Katniss!"

She says. "Come in! God, you're an asshole for making her stay out in the cold!"

"No, we aren't staying here. We need to talk and I'm not doing it here."

"Fine," Cress walks away. Peeta steps out on the porch with me and shuts the door.

"Do you want to go somewhere or just stay here?" He asks.

"Let's just stay here. I need to get this off my chest. I came all the way from Boston, Massachusetts."

"You could have just called." He says.

"No...no I couldn't have."

"Alright well...I'm listening." He crosses his arms. I know he won't say anything till I'm done because once I'm ranting I have to get the whole thing out or I'm going to forget.

"Look, I watched that CD and I cried because I shouldn't have left and I love you and I fucked up and I feel like a bitch and I'm really sorry because Finn and Jo and Ann they don't talk to me. I don't have any friends and the only place I'm happy is at work because I have something to do! I didn't have anyone to talk to when I killed my first person. I just wish I never left because your right! I am nosy and I do get into your business but I do it because I love you and I'm sorry that I left, god Peeta, I still love you. Please if you'll let me I want another shot at us because walking away from you is the biggest mistake I've ever made!"

"Are you done?" He asks.

"Yes."

"Well ever since we broke up I've been miserable. I shouldn't have let you leave. Be my girlfriend again?"

"Okay."

He smiles. "Since..." He flips my palm over and traces the pattern on my palm. "Since our first time got messed up we should so totally redo it."

"Cress is rubbing off of you." I grab his hand and pull him to my car. It's the FBI car. It's mine though, a black escalade. The windows are so tinted you can hardly see anything. I shut the car door in the backseat.

"Why do you have machine guns in here?" Peeta asks.

"This is my car. I use this for work."

"Wait, we can't fuck in here!" He laughs.

"It's my car. I can do whatever the fuck I want to do! Now, I want to fuck my boyfriend! Any protests?"

"None," He grins and pushes me down on the backseat. I lock the car with the keys still in my hand and toss them in the front seat.

...9...

"Where'd you guys go?" Cress asks.

"We went on a walk." Peeta lies easily.

She narrows her eyes. "And? Any good news?" She asks.

"Yes."

"You guys made up?" Cress asks.

"Yeah, we did." Peeta slings his arm around my shoulder.

"Wait, that's Katniss?" The lady that answered the door asks. "Well you are just adorable!" She says.

"That's my Aunt Lidia. Then my cousins Justice and Kegan. They're here for the holidays. Oh, this is my grandmother and grandfather. And then my Uncle Kenny and my Aunt Opal."

"This is the girl that saved your family?" Justice asks.

"Yes." Peeta says.

"Well she's just sexy!" He says. He kisses me and I jerk back, startled.

"Hey!" Peeta says. Peeta looks like he's gonna deck him. He stops though, when my phone starts ringing. I pull it out.

Gale.

God dammit.

"I'm going to go on the porch." I say.

"Okay." Peeta says. I walk out onto the porch.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"We've got a problem." Gale says.

"Which is?"

"A little girl has gone missing." He says.

"So? Gale, you, Boggs and Jackson are perfectly capable of finding her by yourself-"

"No because she's six years old with blond hair and green eyes."

"Gale. This is stupid. A lot of kids have blond hair and green eyes."

"Katniss, there was a body found in the forest with blond hair and green eyes. There are a few other little girls missing with blond hair and green eyes. Katniss there's some type of connection here. This is a big case. They're bringing in other FBI agents from around the country. I know your my boss and I can't tell you what to do but you really need to come back for this."

I let out a prolonged sigh.

"Alright. I'll come home."

"Thanks. Hurry it up please. Shits about to go down." He hangs up. I let out a long breath and walk back into the house.

"I have to leave."

Everyone looks at me. "What? No. Why? Stay." Peeta says.

"I can't. I've got work."

"Oh you have a new case?" Cress asks.

"Yeah."

"What is it?" Barley asks.

"I can't tell. It's classified."

"Well I'm coming with you." Peeta says.

"You can if you want but I might be going out of town and you'll get pretty bored."

"You've got work too Peet, you can't just leave." Rye reminds him.

"Okay." He says. "I'll call you, okay?" He asks.

"I'll call you. That last thing I need is going to get someone and my phone starts ringing."

"Right," he nods. He hugs me, and then I walk out.

...8...

I'm just walking into the office when everyone is walking out. "Whoa, what'd I miss?" I chase after Gale.

"We don't know. All we know is a girl was taken off the side of the road. The man that did it killed two people in the process."

"And the little girl? What'd she look like?"

"We don't know." He says. We get in our cars again. I have Gale in mine.

"Are the other teams here?" I ask.

"They've just landed. They're meeting us at the scene." He explains.

"God, I'm not even dressed." I say.

"Get dressed then. I know you've

Got your backup in the back."

I pul over and crawl into the back and Gale starts driving. I pull on my white long sleeve shirt and put my bulletproof vest over it. The words FBI are on the back. Then I change into my black dress pants and my shoes and get in the passenger seat. I open the center console and get my badge and put it in my pocket. We pull up at the crime scene and I get out. Gale shuts the car off and tosses me the keys.

"Forgetting something?" He asks, tapping his gun.

"Yes." I go to the back and open up the compartment in the floor. I grab my handgun and load it up and put it in my other pocket.

There's a girl sitting on the ground next to the two people, shaking them viciously, trying to get them to wake up.

"Please! Mom! Dad!" She gasps. The other agents, the ones that just got here, they start taping off the area and shooing everyone out.

"Girl, you need to leave." One of the agents says to her.

"Whoa, you can't make her leave. She could have answers." I butt in. He looks at me. "What's your name?"

"Katniss Everdeen."

He sticks his hand out. "Gret Howsing."

I nod and look down at the girl. "They're your parents?" I ask.

"Yes!" She sobs. I pull her to her feet. "Where's my little sister? Where's Jess?"

"Jess? That's your little sister?" I ask.

"Yes!" She starts nodding like crazy. "Please! I just want my sister back! Where is she?"

"How old is your sister?" I ask.

"She's six."

"And does she have blond hair and green eyes."

"Yes she does."

God, what is up with the blond hair and green eyes?

Someone comes up behind me and covers my eyes with one hand.

"Nice to see you again you crazy bitch."

Johanna.


	4. Chapter 4

"Johanna?" I ask, surprised. I look at her. She's in the same uniform I am.

"Who's this?" she asks.

"I'm the daughter." The girl whispers. "They're going to wake up, right? They're not dead! They can't be dead! I don't want to go to an orphanage! I don't want to be separated from my sister!"

"How old are you?" I ask.

"I'm fifteen." She sniffs. "And I was wrong. My sister doesn't have green eyes. She has blue ones."

"Katniss." Gale says behind me. "A body was just found at the forest. It's a little girl. She's bleeding badly but she's alive."

"My sister!" the girl says.

"Alright," Johanna steps in. "What's your name?"

"Lauren Harper. My sister, she's Jessica Harper, but we call her Jess."

"Katniss," Gale says again.

"Gale give me a second please." He's pissing me off.

"I'm going to go get the girl and put her in the hospital." He says.

"I'm coming with you!" Lauren says.

"No, you're staying here." I say.

"No! What about my sister!"

"I'll make you a deal." I say. Johanna still has not removed her arm from my shoulder. "If you answer our questions I'll take you to see your sister, okay?"

"Okay." She says.

"_If_ it's your sister." Johanna adds.

"What if it's not my sister? Will you save her?"

"That's our job." I reply.

Johanna and I keep questioning her.

"And have you ever harmed anyone from your family in any way?" I ask.

"No." she says.

"Alright, let's go. I'm taking you to your sister."

Johanna comes, too.

….a….

The older sister is staying at the hospital to be watched by the nurses until we decide what to do with them.

"I don't know." Johanna shoes more popcorn in her mouth. She's sitting on my desk with her legs on my lap and my legs on my desk.

"The older sister…I don't know if I trust her."

"Yeah, I'm with you on that one." It's Thanksgiving and we've been on this case for two weeks and we've gotten nowhere. Johanna is staying at my house and we're inseparable again.

"Yeah, I don't trust her either." Gale drops a file on my desk. "Lauren has a criminal track. Apparently, at the age of ten, she broke her younger sister's arm. At the age of thirteen, she pushed her sister down a flight of stairs, broke her arm and cracked her head open and then at the age of fourteen, she pushed her in front of a moving car. If the kid wasn't in between the space of the vehicles, the kid would be dead. The parents put the kid up for adoption. She broke out of the adoption place and was at the store when the shots were fired. This kid is bipolar, schizophrenic, she has Asperger's and she went into a mental facility at the age of eleven, and stayed there till she turned thirteen. Jess is terrified of her sister. As a matter of fact, when you dropped her off, I was in the room and her sister went into a panic attack."

"God, that poor girl."

"Who, Lauren?" Johanna asks.

"No, Jess. What kind of sick minded person breaks their one year old sister's arm? Who pushes their three year old sister down the stairs?"

"Oh, and she was told that if there is another accident with her sister, she is going to go to juvenile prison."

I stand up.

"Where are we going?" Johanna asks.

"I want to talk to Lauren, and I want to see Jess."

"Yes, finally something to do, let's go," Johanna says. She follows me out. I drive to the hospital and go into the room that Lauren has.

"Hi." She says.

"You want to tell me why you didn't let you know you broke your sister's arm when she was one years old? Or why you pushed her down some stairs? Why did you push her in front of a moving vehicle? You went to a mental facility? Maybe it would have been good to mention that you were put up for adoption."

"I didn't want to go to prison."

"I could put you in prison just for lying to me." I cross my arms.

"Look, I only lied because my little sister is a bitch and I don't think she deserves happiness. I was going to finish her off. That's why I wanted to go with that man."

"How about you let me know everything, right here right now, or I swear to you darling, I'll have your ass behind bars before you can count to three."

"Well you know my problems. I'm perfectly normal. I just have different interests."

"Right, listen. Why did you break out of the adoption center? Why did you just so happen to be there the day Jess was kidnapped?"

"Ever since Jess was born, I hated her. She's a bitch. She replaced me. I took it out on her because she deserved it. I snuck out and follows Mom and Dad's car to that store. I was inside. When the van pulled up, I let the guy take Jess. I saw him look at my parents and shoot them. That's when I came outside and kept trying to wake them. You guys showed up a few minutes later."

"You saw the guy?" I ask.

"Yes."

"What'd he look like?"

"He looked like some nasty ass guy with white hair and purple eyes."

"Tell us the truth." Johanna says.

"I am." She insists.

I remind myself that this girl has mental disabilities and she probably doesn't know what the guy looks like.

"Thank you." I drag Johanna out and walk into the room Jess is in.

The little girl has clear blue eyes and flowing blond hair. Her arm is bandaged up and there are some scratches on her cheeks, but other than that, she's fine. She's watching Dora.

She looks at me and Jo. Then, an adorable grin spreads across her lips.

"Hi!" She giggles.

"Hi sweetie." I pull up a chair next to her bed and Johanna pulls up another chair.

I hate to do it, but I have to question her. It's protocol. I turn on the recording thing and record everything.

"What's your name? I'm Jess! I'm six!"

"I'm Katniss." I smile.

"I'm Johanna." Jo grins.

"Do you mind if we ask you a couple of questions?"

"Okay!" She shuts the TV off.

"What do you think of your sister? Of Lauren?"

Her eyes get all wide and they fill with tears and she starts screaming for help.

"Whoa, honey, your safe!" I say. "Your safe. She isn't going to hurt you anymore. I promise." She calms down, and holds onto my hand.

"She's a bully! She hurts me!"

"Alright." I let out a breath and look at Johanna.

"Do you remember that guy that grabbed you?" Johanna asks.

"He's a bully too."

"When he took you, did he say anything?" She presses.

"He told me that his daughter got hurt and he wanted everyone to feel his pain. He said he was going to take me somewhere safe. Then he looked into my eyes and his got all wide and then he looked very angry and said your blue, not green! Then he said I was a worthless word I can't say and then he took out a hot stick and started hitting me. It hurt. He cut open my arm with some sharp silver thing and tossed me out of his van."

God, for a six year old, she's very smart.

"And honey, did you see what the bully looked like?" I ask.

She starts nodding like crazy. "He had hair my color and eyes like the color green. He wasn't fat like Albert. He was skinny like you!" She points at me. "But his shoulder were wide and his fingernails had yellow paint on them! He looked like he was younger than my Daddy and he had yellow painted teeth. He was scary and he was angry at me because I asked him if he wanted to borrow my toothbrush!"

"Did he look strong?" Johanna asks.

"Yes." She says.

"How old was your Daddy?" I ask.

"He was only 35 when he died!"

"If you could guess how old this bully was, what numbers would you say?" Jo asks.

"I would say he was at most twenty eight."

"Okay, thanks honey." I stand up. "Do you want me to turn Dora back on for you?"

"I can." She turns the TV on. "Bye bye." She smiles.

"Bye honey." I stop the recording and walk out, Johanna trailing behind me.

...8...

It's three in the morning. I woke up because someone _knocked on the fucking door_.

It's three in the morning, who the hell is knocking on the door. Johanna is sitting up, looking around in confusion. "Why the fuck is someone at the door _before_ the ass crack of dawn?"

I grab my handgun because it's weird someone's at the house, and it's just a habit.

I open the front door and am honestly shocked to come face to face with Cress. She leans against the doorframe. "Are you going to let me in, or are you going to shoot me?"

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I ask. I move aside and let her into the house.

"I wouldn't shut that door yet." She says. Rye and Graham come in next, and then Mr. Mellark, Colby and Barley, and then Peeta. I lock my gun and toss it on the table.

"What are you guys doing here? It's so early it isn't even the ass crack of dawn yet." Johanna says. Peeta looks at her.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while.

"Yeah, I know."

"I don't mean to sound rude but it's three in the morning. What the hell are you guys doing here and how'd you find out where I live?"

"Well I made Prim tell me." Peeta says.

"What the hell is that?" Rye points at my giant safe across the room. It's in the corner.

"She won't tell anyone." Johanna says. "Which I think is pretty fucked up."

"Do you _really_ want to know what it is?" I ask.

Everyone says, "Yes."

"You can't tell anyone." I warn. "And you'll probably think I'm crazy."

"Oh honey." Cress puts her hand on my shoulder. "We already think that."

I scowl and walk over to my safe. "Johanna, you're going to love this."

"Oh just open it!" Colby says. I type in the code. It beeps twice and I hear the deadbolt unlock. I pull it open and all of their eyes widen in shock and their jaws drop.

"How the hell…?" Rye looks around like some ninja is going to come in here and take me to jail.

"Holy shit." Johanna walks over to me. "Do you collect these?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Do they work?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Every one of them? Even this one?" I smack her hand.

"Don't touch!"

"Well does it work?"

"Yes it works."

"Oh my god," She says. "Which ones have you used to kill people with?"

I have over eighty guns lined up in this safe. Some of them are old and some of them are shiny and new.

The first gun that was ever made was in 1288 and I almost got my hands on one, but the seller wanted six million and refused to go any lower. I took a photo with it instead.

"Um…" I stare at them. "I don't really use them."

"You have these bad ass guns and you don't even use them?" she asks.

"I don't want to waste the ammo, Johanna."

"What gun do you use?" she asks.

"My handgun." I walk over to where I tossed it on the table. "This is my favorite. It's so easy to hide and it goes far.

"Can I hold it?" Rye asks. I look down at the gun in my hand.

"I suppose so." I drop it into his hands.

"Have you ever killed someone aside from my mother?" Rye asks.

"Yup, but I don't want to talk about it though. I don't like killing people."

"Me either. It's depressing."

"If I pulled the trigger, would it go off?" Rye asks.

"No."

He points the gun right at Graham and he flinches. He does the same to every one of his siblings and his father and gets the same reaction.

He points it at me, and I roll my eyes. "Give me my gun." I put my hand out.

"You aren't afraid?" Rye asks.

"No. do you realize I've had over a hundred guns pointed at me?"

"What?" Peeta asks.

"How many times have you been shot?"

"Fifteen, no, sixteen."

"Has it ever hit you? Like not on the bullet proof vest?" Cress asks.

"Yes."

"Where?" Peeta demands. I lift up the sleeve of my shirt to reveal the scar on my shoulder.

"Does it hurt?" Rye asks.

"Do you want to find out?" I ask.

"No!"

"If you don't give me my gun back right now, you will find out." He hands it back to me.

"Remind me not to piss you off." He grumbles.

"Don't piss me off."

"So why did you guys come here from Louisiana?"

"Well…" Mr. Mellark sighs. "Peeta can ask. I'm not doing it because I'm completely against just walking in like this."

"Can we stay here for like…a week? Maybe two?" Peeta asks. I raise my eyebrows.

"Why?"

"Well…we kind of hate our house. Thanksgiving's over and we moved out. It's only until we find a house big enough to fit us, and then I swear we'll be out of your hair."

"Can you deal with me running out of the house randomly on the phone?"

"Yes."

"Then yes."

"Awesome."

"Katniss really you didn't have to say yes." Mr. Mellark says.

"As long as you guys don't eat my Swiss Rolls, we'll all be okay."

"Fair enough."

"You have a machine gun?" Johanna asks.

"Um, I have three of the same ones."

"What? That's not fair! I don't fucking have a machine gun!"

"Do you _want_ a machine gun?"

"Yes!"

"Then take one. I don't need three of them. Now I'm going back to sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a really good day."

"It better be an excellent fucking day." Johanna says.

"Where do we sleep?"

"Um, I have a mattress in the garage and then like three blow up mattresses."

"I'll go get them." Cress says.

….a….

My phone starts ringing at four thirty, about an hour and a half later. I lazily press answer. "Yeah?" I ask.

"We've got him!" Gale says. "He just took another girl right out of her own bed and we got him! His name is Abe Reilly. He lives in a house in downtown Boston!"  
"I'm on my way." I fly out of bed and flip on my light and change into my uniform. "JOHANNA!" I shout, running around the house like crazy. Gale calls me back.

"We think he's about to kill all of the kids. We think he hasn't killed any of them because he hasn't had any acid. Aside from that one body we found, that's like the only body."

"Well we need to hurry. I'll meet you at his house. What's the address?"

I get an old receipt and a pen and write as he says, "18 Rexhame StBoston, MA 02131."

"Perfect. Don't let him know anyone is there until I'm there, alright? That's not very far from my house."

"Alright," he hangs up.

"Please tell me they got him." Johanna says. I look at her to see she's in full uniform. She's got her handgun.

"Alright, you know this guy. He's pretty fucking crazy. I'm willing to bet that he's loaded with weapons of all sorts. I think he might have a disability. He's fucking crazy to be doing what he's doing. Don't kill him if you don't need to." I unlock the safe and get out the FBI shields and hand one to her and then slam it shu. "Our goal is to get the kids and put the bastard in cuffs."

"Right," she nods.

"Now, Gale says that he doesn't think he's killed anyone but that one girl they found in the woods. He said the bastard just got the acid and he's getting ready to strike. My guess, since the guys insane, is that he's going to make the girls watch till he's done."

"Agreed, now let's go." She types the address into her phone's GPS.

"We'll be back!" I shout to everyone, who I know I've woken up.

"Be careful!" Peeta shouts.

"I always am!" I slam the front door.


	5. Chapter 5

The house is small and dark and eery. All the agents are there, in the cars. I get my gun and get out, taking careful steps.

"Alright people," I whisper. "This guy is bat shit crazy. The goal is to get in there and get him without killing him. Then, we get the kids."

"Who goes in first?" Gale asks.

"I say we go two at a time. Katniss and I go first." Johanna says. We all nod in agreement. I walk towards the house and push open the front door. We raise our guns and start searching every room. I hear whispering and the sound of what appears to be a little girl crying.

Basement? Could he be keeping them in a basement?

I elbow Jo and point down to the floor. She frowns and then shrugs and points her gun at the last room. I creep forward. The other teams are here now. Slowly, I push open the door.

God, it reeks in here. It smells like piss. I can't see much because it's dark, but I can hear the little whispering stop. I look at Johanna.

She doesn't hesitate to flip on the light switch.

There are forty three little naked six year old girls in here. All if them are alive.

Then there's the man. He's standing there with a cup of acid in his hands. He looks at me and Johanna with wide eyes and then splats the cup in my direction, but I use my shield to block it.

All the agents come in and point their guns at him. "Put your hands where I can see them." I order.

He does. I gesture for Gale to cuff him.

"Are you gonna hurt us?" One of the girls whisper. "Please!" She screams. "I want my mommy!"

"We are going to take you girls home after we clean you up some."

"Thank you!" There's buttons on their beds. Jo and I go around the room unlocking them.

"They're evil!" The guy screams. Gale just finished telling him the Miranda rights.

"I've already contacted the hospitals. There isn't much they can do, seeing as the girls aren't injured. We need somewhere for them to go."

I hesitate and then blurt, "We can take them to my house. It's right down the street. I think Johanna and I can handle the girls." I help all of the kids to their feet.

"Let's work together to bring them there."

"Let me call Peeta."

"Why?" Boggs asks.

"Because he's at my house." I dial him.

"Hello?" He asks, and I can tell he's wide awake.

"I need all of you to go in my room and stay there, alright?"

"Um...okay." One of the cops that joined takes Abe Reilly and then all of us load the girls into cars. I lead them to my house. They follow me up the stairs. The girls must be freezing because it's snowing. I take them in the house.

"You guys stay right there for a second and I'll be right back, okay?" They nod.

"How about some cartoons?" Johanna asks. I slip into my bedroom.

"What is going on?" Peeta asks.

"Nothing."

"Why can't we go out there then?"

"Do you want to see forty three little naked six year old girls sitting in the living room terrified for their lives? All skinny and starving and cold? No, I don't think you do."

"Wait, your on that case where those little girl sent missing and the guy is killing them with acid?" Cress asks.

"Yes."

"You found them?"

"Yes."

"Oh, thank god!"

"Yeah," I pull out my pajama drawer and walk away, shutting the door with my foot. "They need baths." I whisper to Johanna. "They can use my clothes, but they need baths and food."

"Well I can't cook." She says.

"Me either."

We both look at the bedroom door.

Then I sigh and walk back in. "Alright Mellarks." I cross my arms. "I can't cook and neither can Johanna and these girls are starving."

"Can we help save little girls?" Cress asks. I step aside.

"Don't touch them. If your going to say something, don't say something that'll scare them. It's just a disaster waiting to happen."

They all scurry past me.

"Hi!" One of the girls says. They wave hello and then I partially force them to the kitchen. Jo and I start bathing them two by two, me in one bathroom and her in the other. We give them one of my shirts and have them sit on the floor.

Gale walks into my place without knocking. "We've got one more for you." And in walks Jess.

"Hi Katniss!" She runs to me. I pick her up and give her a hug. "Gale says that I have to stay with someone because I don't want to go to an adoption center! I want to go somewhere where I can see you!" She says.

"Well I'll see what I can do. How about you go talk to your friends?" I set her down and she walks over to the girls and they start talking about how Disney channel has good shows. I keep bathing the girls with Jo. When I finish, Peeta and his family have finished making the kids food and they're eating away.

The sun is coming up by now and they're all tired. "Do you guys want to go see your Mommy and Daddy's?" I ask.

All if the kids look at me in hope.

"I live with my bubba and sissy."

"Well do you want to go see them?" I ask.

"Okay."

"What about me? I don't have a mommy or daddy." Another girl says.

"Then you stay here." I reply.

"Okay."

Johanna and I start loading up the kids and using the addresses Gale gave us to take the kids home. Peeta and his family are going to be watching the girls. The parents start freaking out and hugging us and choking on tears and holding their children. I tell them I fed them and bathed them already. They cry.

It takes almost all day to take these kids home.

"What about Jess and Hanna?" Johanna asks. "They don't have anywhere to go."

"They're going to stay with me until we get somewhere for them to go." I reply.

"Alright." She says. We go back to the house and I drop Johanna off and drive to the store and get a bunch of stuff for kids. I get more food and by the time I get home it's eight thirty and I'm exhausted. I lock my gun and put it on the coffee table. I hardly have any time to inhale before I'm enveloped in Peeta's arms. I let out a long breath that I needed to let out and bury my head in his shoulder. He's so warm and cozy and familiar.

Honestly, I'm not just tired, I'm overtired, so overtired that I'm wide awake.

I get a phone call. I let out a soft groan and pull away and dig my phone out of my pocket. "Yeah?" I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"Listen here," it's Mom. I didn't tell her I'm an FBI agent. I like to keep that information down low. As far as she knows, I'm a receptionist for 911, and in, when someone calls the police, I'm a person that answers the phone. "I get you and Finnick aren't getting along. He's your brother and shit happened because you and Peeta broke up, but I'm your damn mother! I changed your diapers, I held you when you were scared, I picked you up from school, I got rid of your fevers! It's not fair to me that you are paying me no attention and can't even push the deferences of you and Finnick behind to come home for the holidays."

"I can't afford it." I lie. It's obviously not true. I get paid 1,963 dollars every two weeks.

"I knew you'd say that! Dammit Katniss, your my daughter! I miss you! You don't even know what's going on in my life right now."

"I miss you too but-"

"But you don't care! You can save your money!"

"Look, this Thanksgiving I was really busy-"

"Doing what? Answering phones? Dammit Katniss," she sighs.

"No I was not answering phones! I was trying to find a murderer if you must know!"

"Katniss you answers phones. Stop lying to me."

"I'm not lying. I'm an FBI agent. If you don't believe me, call Prim." I hang up. I help the girls out on the panties and the clothing I bought them. "You two need to go to bed. It's late."

"He's gonna come get us." Hanna whispers. Jess pulls her legs to her chest. "Mommy, he's gonna come for us."

Mommy? She just called me Mommy? Everyone over the age of six in the house all look at me.

"I'm not your mother." I say. "And he isn't going to come for you. I promise."

"Why aren't you my mommy?" Hanna asks.

She's six years old, how do I answer this?

"I didn't raise you. You aren't my kid."

"But I'm free now! You can be my mommy!" She insist.

"No I can't."

She sighs. "He's coming for us."

"He isn't going to get anywhere near you ever again." I say.

"What if I have bad dreams?"

"Then I'll be right in that room." I point to my bedroom. "You come and wake me, okay?"

"Me too?" Jess asks.

"Yes, you too."

"Okay."

...8...

Someone rings the doorbell at two thirty in the morning on the dot, and when I haven't gotten the door in two seconds, they ring it three more times and start banging. I trip on the sheets and grab my gun off the table. Everyone is awake and the girls look terrified. I open the front door and stare at my mother. She looks frustrated and angry. "You hung up on me." She walks into the house. "Peeta?" She looks back at me.

"We got back together." I cross my arms.

"Hi!" Hanna says. Mom looks at the girls in shock.

"Why do you have a gun? What's going on here Katniss Joy? Did you adopt and not tell me?"

"I told you I was an FBI agent." I grab my badge off the table. "And you didn't believe me!" I point my gun in her direction when I say "you".

"You may be an adult but I can still tell you what to do. Put that damn gun away before you hurt yourself."

I scowl. "I'm not going to hurt myself. I've killed people. I know how to use a gun."

She sighs. "I don't care. Put it away."

I lock my gun and toss it on the table.

"What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." She says.

"Okay. We can talk in the morning. I'm going back to bed."

I'm in the doorway of my bedroom when she says, "Shane and I got divorced."


	6. Chapter 6

I look at her in surprise. "What did you say?"

She sets her bag on the ground. "I said that Shane and I got divorced."

"Girls, how about you go sleep in my room for the night?" The two little girls scurry past me. I shut the door over.

"No Mommy I'm scared of the dark."

Hanna says.

"I'm not your Mommy." I remind her. I go in and flip on the TV and put it on AV 2 so it makes a blue night light.

"Okay."

Both girls crawl into my bed. I'm just about to walk out when Jess says, "you have to tuck us in."

I tuck both girls in up the their chins and kiss their forehead. "Sleep well girls." I whisper. I walk out of my room and shut the door over. "Why?" I ask. She sits down next to Mr. Mellark, who is sitting up now. All of us are awake. We're all tired. They're all sitting up. I sit with Peeta on the blow up mattress and plant myself right in between in his legs.

"Well, I knew it was going to happen. To be honest, you and Finnick kept us happy. I think it was because when you two were together you were always so happy. Then, you moved out. You stopped talking. I remember one day Shane blamed you and said that it was your fault that you guys stopped talking because you and Peeta broke up. I told him that he was wrong. That is was Finnick's fault. You'd done nothing wrong. A lot of people break up. Then you stopped coming to holidays and we never saw both of you together. We just kept fighting about any the and everything. The next thing I know, he's handing me divorce papers. He kicked me out yesterday."

"What the fuck." I stand up and start to pace. "What the actual fuck." I sneak into my bedroom. Both girls are awake and whispering. I get my phone.

"Mommy if I have a nightmare I go out there?" Hanna asks.

"I'm not your Mommy and yes." I head to the doorway. Hanna follows me.

"Will you at least think about being my Mommy?" She asks. I look down into her clear green eyes.

"I'll think about it." I run my fingers through her hair. "Now go to bed."

"Okay." She crawls back into bed.

"Will you leave the door open sissy?" Jess asks.

"Okay. I'm not your sister."

"Okay thanks Sissy." I dial Shane.

"What?" He asks.

"Do you have a mental disorder or something?"

"No." He says.

"You divorced her. You have problems. No wonder you can't hold onto one marriage."

"Whatever Katniss." He hangs up.

"Katniss can I stay with you until I get my own place?"

"Um...yeah, sure."

She's quiet for a moment. "Maybe I'm just bad at marriage."

"It's not your fault." Mr. Mellark blurts. "Trust me. I've been through this twice as well. There is someone out there looking for someone else. You'll find that person. You never know. Maybe that someone is in this room."

Mom stares into his eyes.

Is he implying what I think he's implying? Is my mother responding?

What if they get married? I'll have like millions of step siblings.

God, Peeta will be my brother.

I look at him, and he looks at me.

"Um." He stands up. "You know Katniss and I have fucked, right?"

"Yes." Mom says. "And?"

"I'd appreciate it if you would eye fuck with someone else." I say. "If you guys get married..." I bite my lip. "I'll have fucked my brother."

"No. He's your step brother. He isn't your actual brother. It's legal."

"She's right." Rye says. "And you were together first. Them being together shouldn't change anything."

**I'm doing a time skip of a few months.**


	7. Chapter 7

It's about six months later. Everyone's moved out. Jess got adopted, and it was by Colby, but Hanna, she's still with me. She's enrolled in kindergarten. Johanna went back to work so she's gone.

What I do with Hanna is I take her to school and when I'm not on a crime scene I go pick her up and she comes to work with me. If I get called away, she stays with Mom.

Everyone is attached to her. She's still calling me Mommy, and I've stopped telling her not to.

At this point, I am her Mommy. I bathe her and brush her hair and I tuck her in. She has her own room. I stop her fevers and I hold her when she's scared, I heal her wounds. I help her with her homework and I feed her and I teach her what's right and what isn't.

She's started calling Peeta Daddy and at first he corrected her, but like he, he stopped.

I might as well just make it official.

I'm walking into the office today. Hanna is at school.

"Katniss I've got good news." Gale says.

"Talk to me." I reply.

"We have someone that wants to adopt Hanna!"

I stop walking.

My little girl? No. No, she can't leave me. She's my baby girl.

"What? No. That's not good news at all." I shake my head like crazy.

"Why?"

"Because she's mine!" A lot of the other people in the office are eavesdropping.

"She is not yours. Your just taking care of her."

I glare threateningly at him. "No. Tell them she's already been adopted."

"What? Katniss, she isn't yours!"

"Well then I'm adopting her! She's mine."

"Katniss," Gale begins. "I already told them she was theirs."

"Well that wasn't your decision to make. Tell. Them. No."

"Katniss I can't do that. It's the law."

"On who's consent? Is it in the constitution? The bill of rights? She's my daughter. I know what she likes. I know what scares her. She's mine. She isn't going with those people. Tell them no."

"No." He says.

"Fine, give me the phone number then."

"Fine." He reads it out to me. I dial the number. "They're gonna be pissed."

"I don't give a fuck if they're pissed." I walk out.

"Hello?" A woman asks. I get in my car.

"Yes, hi, this is Katniss Everdeen. I'm the mother of Hanna?"

"Oh yeah. When can we come pick her up?"

"Oh, there's a little problem with that." I reply.

She pauses. "Such as?"

"She's already been adopted."

"But your employee told me that she was up for adoption. He said she was mine!"

"I understand that Ma'am, but she isn't. I'm sorry, but that's how it is."

"Well he lied."

"No, ma'am, he didn't know."

"So who's to blame here?"

I drive to the courthouse. "I am."

"This isn't right. This isn't right at all! She is rightfully my daughter!"

"Oh, I'm sorry miss, but have you legalized this?"

"No but-"

"Then I'm very sorry. She's already been adopted."

She hangs up on me. I walk into the courthouse.

"Ma'am, I need some I.D." The woman says frantically, eying the gun on my side. I show her my badge and her face relaxes.

"Look, I have a problem." I say.

"Which is?"

"I am the foster parent of Hanna Beth. There's this family that wants t adopt her and...I want her. The problem is, my employee told me he told her that Hanna was his."

"Did she legalize Hanna as her own?"

"No."

"Then you can just sign off at the official parent and show us some I.D. And stuff and the problem is solved."

...&...

It only took like an hour. I got off just in time to pick up Hanna. She loves when I pick her up. It's rare that I get to, but she's a smart girl and she understands. She comes running for me, and I pick her up.

"Hi Mommy!" She says.

"Hi honey. So you know how I told you that I'm not really your Mommy?"

"Yes." She says.

"Well, I really am your Mommy now."

She lets out a big happy squeal and hugs me. I laugh and put her in the car and buckle her into her booster seat.

"Mommy, can we go see Daddy?"

"Yeah, sure," I smile and head to Mr. Mellark's house.

I must have shown up at the wrong time. Mom is here, of course, because she and Mr. Mellark are dating. Then everyone else is staring at them in shock. I've stopped knocking because all of them have told me a trillion times not to.

"Daddy!" Hanna squeals. Peeta looks at her and smiles. She runs for him and he picks her up.

"How was school?" He asks.

"Good! Guess what Mommy told me?"

"What did she tell you?" He asks.

"She says that I really am her daughter now?"

Peeta looks at me, and everyone else does too.

"What?" Mom looks at me. "You actually adopted her? Katniss, your only twenty four." I turned 24 in May.

"I know but I had to."

"Why?"

"Because she was going to be adopted and she's MINE! I feed her and I bathe her and I take care of her and help her with homework and get rid of the fevers! I couldn't let her go. She's mine. I don't care if you guys are angry. She's my daughter and there's nothing you can do about it."

"I didn't say I was angry." Mom says.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." Peeta lifts her up on his shoulders.

"What do you want to eat kiddo?"

"I want some cookies!"

"Did you eat lunch today?" He looks at me because Hanna will probably just tell him no.

"Yeah, she did." I say.

"Okay, but only two."

"Can I have milk?" She asks.

"Sure." He gets her a glass of milk and two Oreos on a napkin and sits her at the kitchen table.

She goes off into her own little world. "Why do you guys look so angry?"

Mom sighs loudly. "Alex and I are getting married."

I stare at her. "Are you serious?"

I"Yes. Yes they are, and they said it would be best if we broke up." Peeta crosses his arms. "Hence the reason we're so angry."

I cross my arms. "We were together first."

"Okay?" Mom asks. "You guys aren't married."

"I don't care." I say. "You can want what you want, but it's not going to happen." I look at Peeta. "Right?"

He leans over and kisses my cheek. "Yes."

"Well..." Mom hesitates.

"Mommy and Daddy need to get married Nanna." Hanna says at the kitchen table. "They need to have the pretty rings! They can't break up!"

"Yeah, Hanna's right." Cress says.

"Sissy and Bubba can't." Jess says.

"They're not breaking up." Hanna says. "I forfend it."

I look at her in surprise. "Where did you learn that word?"

"You said it yesterday." She giggles.

"You said yourself it was legal." I remind my mother. "We aren't breaking up unless Peeta decides to."

"Which I won't." Peeta adds.

"Right. Mom, Alex, if you really love us, you won't make us break up."

"Katniss, your my daughter. I've always guided you in the right direction. In this case, you need to let Peeta go."

Hanna is behind me, having finished her food and cleaned up after herself.

I'm seriously considering her words. And then, carefully, slowly, I say, "when I was a little girl, remember I had that balloon? I took it with me everywhere and you were annoyed?"

"Yes." She says.

"And then one day it was windy and I let go of it on accident and the ballon flew away? Remember I started crying?"

"Yes."

"And even thought it was a ballon and it was stupid, you told me, "Katniss, in the future, never let go of anything you can't go a day without thinking about."

She nods.

"Mom, this applies here."

"Oh come on." She says. "You guys broke up for four years. Tell me you went one day not thinking about Peeta."

I stare at her. "I'm not going to lie to you. I thought about him every living breathing second if every day. Letting him go was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I'm not going to repeat that." I take Hanna's hand and walk out.

...8...

"Mommy?" Hanna asks. I can't sleep, so I'm lying on the couch at three in the morning flipping through the channels with the volume turned down so quiet I have to strain to hear it.

"Hmm baby?" I ask. She crawls on the couch and worms herself in next to me.

"I don't feel good." She mumbles.

I feel her forehead and find it's hot.

God, she has a fever.

"What's bothering you?" I ask.

"My throat and I can't breathe from my nose and I cough and my eyes are wet like I'm crying." She mumbles.

"Alright. Stay right there." I get up and go into the kitchen and look for some medicine to help her. She has a sinus indirection, no doubt.

I don't have any medicine. I need NyQuil and that liquid ibuprofen.

I'm not taking her to the store when she's sick at three in the morning.

Maybe...

God, I feel terrible for doing this. I go int my bedroom and unplug my phone from charge.

God, this feels so wrong.

I call Peeta.

"Hmm?" He mutters, half awake.

"Um...I feel terrible but I need a favor..." I bite my nails.

I hear him shift in bed. "Which is?"

"Well um...Hanna's got a fever and I need medicine..."

"Uh, okay, I'll go to the store. What kind of medicine do you need?"

"Peeta you don't have to..."

"What kind of medicine do you need?"

"I need NyQuil, you know, the one for kids, and I need something to get rid of the fever like liquid NyQuil or something. I'll pay you back."

"I'll go to the store on one condition." He says.

"And that is?"

"I get to spend the rest of the night at your house." He says. "And you don't get to pay me back."

I laugh. "Deal to the first one. No deal to the second one."

"Okay, I'll be there in a little while. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Bye." He whispers.

"Bye." He hangs up.

I get a wash cloth from the bathroom and put warm water on it and put it on her forehead. I put on her cartoons and sit next to her and wait.

Around twenty minutes later, Peeta knocks on the door.

God, I really need to get him a key. I walk over to the door and unlock it and step aside. He slips in and kisses me, only a peck.

"Daddy." Hanna whines.

"Hey kiddo." He says. "I have some stuff that's gonna make you feel better."

He gives her the medicine, and then he pulls out a coloring book and crayons and ice cream and movies and Gatorade.

"Peeta." I cross my arms.

"What? She's sick. And your not paying me back. Nice try though."

I scowl.

I put away the ice cream. She drifts off to sleep after about twenty minutes, and Peeta picks her up and takes her to bed. I lay down on the couch. He comes in and opens my legs and lays down with his head on my chest.

"Katniss, I have to tell you something." He says, and he looks all serious.

"Hmm?" I mumble.

"I love you."

I laugh softly. "I love you, too."

"No really though, we need to talk about something."

"Okay, but first I have to ask you something."

"Which is?" He sits up and crosses his legs, moving me so my butt is in his lap. Then, as he lays down, he tucks his hands under my back and pulls me up and then, when he's fully laying, I am on top of him. He flicks the TV off.

"I want you to move in." I whisper. "I don't like not seeing you."

He stares at me. "Okay, I'll move in."

"Really?" I ask. He smiles.

"Really."

"Good." I rest my head on his chest. He sighs. "I want to be Hanna's Daddy." He says.

"Peeta, you are-"

"No legally." He says. "I want to legally be her Daddy." He pauses. "And...I want to be your husband."

My eyes widen and I gaze into his eyes. They're only showing a little bit of blue because it's dark.

"What are you asking?"

"I'm asking you to be my fiancé. We'll get married. I want to get married, Katniss." He sits up and shifts me in his lap. "Marry me."

Could their be any reason for me to say no?

I bite my lip for a long time.

No. There is no reason for me to say no.

Never let go of something you can't go a day without thinking about.

"Okay." I mumble. "To both of them."

"Really?" He lays me down and towers over me. "Are you serious?"

"Mm hmm," I mumble.

"The ring is at my house. I'll get it for you, I swear I will. I'll get it right now." He starts to get up but I grab his hand and scramble to my feet.

"No, don't leave. You can get it later."

He kisses me. "Okay." He kisses me again, and begins moving downwards.

"Peeta," I whine, keeping my voice down. "Hanna."

He picks me up and carries me into my room, or our room now. He shuts the door and locks it.

"Peeta if we're gonna do this we have to be quiet."

He pulls the bed away from the wall. "I can do that. Can you do that?"

I smirk. "I can be quiet."

"Damn right."

...8...

"Mommy I'm gonna be late." Hanna comes walking into our room. We took a shower last night and cleaned up all the evidence and then we got dressed and I fell asleep.

I stare at her. "What?" I mumble.

"Hanna, your sick. You aren't going to school today." Peeta gets up and stretches. "Are you still tired?" He asks.

She shakes her head. I get up and stretch too.

"Are you hungry? What do you want for breakfast?"

"Um, pancakes." She says.

"Fair enough." Peeta walk into the kitchen. My phone starts ringing.

"Yeah?" I ask Gale.

"You are not going to believe this." He whispers.

"What?"

"Shane? Your stepfather? He's dead. Cato Harris murdered him."


	8. Chapter 8

I don't care if he and Mom got divorced, because he was, and still is my Dad, just not biologically. He was there for me when I was a teenager. "What?" I whisper, and I start crying. "How? Why? What the fuck!"

"We don't know why. He was definitely the cause. He cut his name into his arm."

A memory hits me like a flashback.

"_It's about time we get out of school!" Finn high fives me. _

"_I'm so proud of you two!" Shane hugs Finn and I. We've just graduated. _

"_Let's go," Mom laughs after being pulled into the hug. _

_I look back at Peeta. "Hang on." I say, and I walk over to him and kiss him. "I'll see you, okay?" _

"_Okay." He smiles. _

_I kiss him again and mumble, "I love you." _

"_I love you, too." He mumbles back. _

"_Bye." I wave to him and my friends and just as we're walking out, Cato grabs my arm, and his grip is tight. _

"_I'll find you Katniss Everdeen. You've made my life a living hell. I'll find you, and when I do, I'll kill you. I'll stop at nothing. I'll do whatever it takes to break you." _

"God Gale, he wants me!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Gale it's me he wants!"

Peeta is sitting in front of me. He isn't asking questions, he's just holding my hand.

"I'm coming over. Jackson and Boggs are coming, too."

I hang up.

"Katniss, what happened?" Peeta asks.

"God, Peeta! It's happening!"

Normally, I don't get scared of anything.

Only, and I realize this right this second; I'm not scared for me, I'm scared for my family.

I explain everything to Peeta. I explain what Cato said to me and how he killed Shane. "Peeta, he's going to do whatever it takes to break me!"

"Alright, I'm going to call my Dad." He says.

"Mommy, what's going on?" Hanna asks.

I look at my daughter, into her clear blue eyes and I realize something.

I'm going to do whatever I have to do to keep my family safe.

Even if it means killing myself in the process.


	9. Chapter 9

"Do you want to explain what's going on?" Finn asks.

I cried a little bit, and then I told my team.

And then I bought plane tickets for everyone I cannot live without, for everyone that I could break without.

Everyone being Mom, Dad, Prim, Lisa, Brandon, Katie, Peeta, Johanna, Finnick, Annie, Mr. Mellark, Cress, Rye, Graham, Colby, Jess, Barley, Peeta and Hanna.

"Look," I sigh. Peeta and Hanna are actually the only ones that know what's really going on. "Shane's dead." I throw my gun over my shoulder and look at Finn.

"What?" he asks.

"Shane's dead. Cato killed him."

Finn stares at me. "How would you know that?" he whispers, but I already see him about to have a breakdown, because, and even though we haven't spoken in a while, he trusts me.

I toss him my badge, and he stares at it, and then he walks into my bedroom and slams the door.

I wait a while, and it's a few hours when Finn comes back. He hugs me. "I never should have walked away from you. I don't care if Lily and Dad are divorced. You're still my sissy, okay?"

I nod. "Okay." He sits back down next to Annie.

"Alright Brainless, what the fuck is going on?"

"On the last day of school, after we graduated, do you guys remember when I was walking out, Cato grabbed my arm and said something to me? Remember how to all wanted to know what it was?"

"Yeah." Mom narrows her eyes.

"He said, and I quote, '_I'll find you Katniss Everdeen. You've made my life a living hell. I'll find you, and when I do, I'll kill you. I'll stop at nothing. I'll do whatever it takes to break you._'"

They stare at me. "Okay?" Cress asks.

"He's taking away the people that mean the most to me until I reach my breaking point."

"So…" Annie bites her lip. "He's going to kill all of us until one of us tell him where you are?"

"Correct."

"And you're not afraid?" Prim asks. "Not even a little bit?"

"No."

"Well if he gets me, I'm not going to tell him where you are." Peeta crosses his arms stubbornly. He made Rye bring the engagement ring, so I've got it on now.

"Me either." Mom says.

They all murmur in agreement.

"He isn't going to get any of you. Now," I start taking all of my guns out of my safe. "We need to hide obviously. I'm guessing he already knows where I live. He seems pretty ruthless to me. I'm going to take a guess he's going right for you, Lisa. And then Katie and Brandon, then Annie, then Prim and Dad, and then Mom and Mr. Mellark and Johanna and Finn and Cress and Rye and Graham and Colby and Jess, and then Hanna and Peeta." They all look sick to their stomachs. "But I'm going to kill him before he gets close."

"How?" Annie asks. "You can't shoot straight."

"Yes she can." Johanna says. "We were partners in crime. She can kick ass."

"So you can fight then?" Finn asks.

"Yes."

"How are you going to find him?" Annie asks.

"Research." I reply. "He's a dumbass. I might just call him and tell him to come for me."

"Or he could just walk in like he just did." Johanna mutters.

And I look in the door, and sure enough, there stands Cato. He's got a gun pointed right at me.

Everyone looks frozen in time. I point my gun right at him. "Go ahead. Pull the trigger. If you do, we both go down."

"Bullshit. You won't shoot me."

"Don't underestimate me." I shoot him in the ankle. He drops his gun and it falls about five feet from where I am standing. I run for it, but he knocks me down, grabs the gun and puts it right on my forehead.

I remember this is training.

I shift my leg and nail him in the balls. He drops the gun on accident and I slam my head into his nose and spin to pin him beneath me. He grabs the gun and I grab hold of it and point it away from me, or anyone, because he's holding onto it, too, and it's really a fight to see who kills who.

"You're a dumbass for showing up here." I hiss. He starts shooting like crazy, and I hear people in the apartments nearby scream. An alarm goes off and I hear sirens.

When he hears the police, he gets up and sprints, bleeding down the hall.

I think about it, but I won't kill him. Not yet.

"We need to go. Now."

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Dad asks.

"God, I'm fine! We don't have time to worry about me! Just go!" I toss Cato's gun to Jo and go into my bedroom and get a suitcase. I fill one of them with all of my guns, and the other with anything we may need, like band-Aids, water, food, blankets, clothing, my phone, matches, anything. I get stuff for Hanna and all the medicine I have and I get a ton of money and then I grab my car keys and run downstairs, dialing Gale as I order everyone to squeeze into my car.

"He found you, did he? God dammit Katniss, I told you to get the hell out of there!"

"I'm going. He isn't going to get very far. I shot him in the leg."

"Did he almost kill you?" Gale asks.

"If you asking if I got shot, the answer is no." I start my car, start the sirens and slam down on the gas.

"Alright, look, come by the station. It's just so we can give you some shit you might need. Bring everyone inside. We don't want to risk anything."

"Shit. Alright, I'll be there." I hang up and go right back to the apartment.

"What are we doing back here?" Mom asks frantically.

"Just stay in the car." I grab my handgun and jog upstairs and grab my badge off the table.

Then I run back out to the car and get in.

"Mommy, I'm scared." Hanna says. I start driving.

"Mommy?" Finn repeats.

"Hanna, you have nothing to be afraid of." I reply.

"Mommy?" Finn repeats again.

"It's a long story." We pull up in front of the FBI office. "Everyone is coming inside. No exceptions."

They don't give me any trouble. I lock my car after grabbing my gun.

"What is this place?" Finn asks.

"It's an FBI office."

"Oh. Awesome."

"This is where you come every day?" Peeta asks.

"Yes, unless I leave on the phone and I'm running around frantically." I reply. Gale is waiting at my office.

"Alright," he walks inside. "First of all, it's really weird to see you in normal clothes."

"Yeah, yeah, you said that earlier."

"Alright, well, we've managed, and I don't know how, but we've got bulletproof vests for everyone, even Jess and Hanna. Well, except for you."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"No she isn't." Peeta says.

"It's in the car." I say. He seems to relax.

"It's hearing the end of October and Cato knows he's in trouble so he could hide for a while. We need to make sure you guys are prepared for the worst weather conditions." He hands everyone jackets and jeans. "You have yours?" he asks.

"In the car." I answer.

"Alright." He lets out a long breath. "Since Johanna is with you, I know you two can handle a gun, as for the rest of you, I'm sure Katniss and Johanna will have plenty of time on their hands to train you." Gale hands me a grenade. "Don't be an idiot with that." He warns.

"Yeah, yeah," I reply.

"And…" he hands me a pager. "It's solar powered. You guys need to leave your phones here. Cato's stupid. He probably won't come here, but he'll find a way to track you. Katniss, you're taking my FBI escalade, not yours. He knows your license plate."

"If I lose connection…." I look down at the pager.

"It's solar powered. It gets connection from the sun. The sun completely powers it."

"Oh." I frown.

Gale hands me this really long gun. "Anzio 20mm Sniper Cannon. You know how to work it, you used it in training."

I nod.

"Alright, that's it I guess. We'll keep in contact with you by using that. Don't worry. We'll catch him."

"I want him dead." I say.

"Me too."

"No, I want him dead, and I intend to be the one that pulls the trigger."


	10. Chapter 10

All of us are irratible with one another.

Except for Peeta, because he's always happy. He's exhausted because we've been walking for days, but he's still giving Hanna a piggy back ride because she fell and twisted her knee.

I've been humming for the past hour and a half. I've been humming my favorite band, Nickleback.

"Alright, what the fuck are you humming?" Prim asks.

"Nickleback. Is that _okay_ with you?" we've been gone for about a week. Gale and the rest of the team have kept in contact with me. They told me they have no clue where Cato is. They told us not to stress about it.

They also mentioned something about Obama. I'm pretty high up in the FBI and they said that the person in charge of the FBI, President Obama's assistant, told him about it and he's made an announcement to find Cato.

That means Cato's on the run, somewhere in the wilderness like me.

I stop walking, because I realize something.

"What? Why did you stop?" Prim snaps.

"I was thinking and, if Obama announced something that means Cato's hiding. He's probably in the wilderness."

"Yeah?" Peeta asks.

"And I shot him, so he's injured. He could get infected and die."

"Which means we'll be out here forever which is great because I'm missing my bed and the TV and the shower and the toilet," Johanna says bitterly.

"You guys are _really_ pissing me off." I hiss.

"It's your entire fault, Brainless!" Johanna shouts at me, making birds fly away.

'Yeah, if you didn't fucking date Cato like how everyone told you not to, we wouldn't be stuck here and Dad wouldn't be dead!" Finn says.

"And you think I'm _happy_ he's dead?" I shout back at him. "He was my Dad too, Finnick! Do you think I knew this was going to happen?" I jab my gun at him. "No! I didn't fucking know! You better watch who you're speaking to! I'm not the same girl that you ditched five years ago! I'm different now!"

"Get that thing _away_ from me before you hurt yourself!" he shouts.

"If anyone is going to get hurt, it's going to be you!" I shout.

"Really? You seem pretty damn stupid to me!"

"You watch yourself!"

"What? You should just die so the rest of us don't have to go through this." He hisses.

He wants me to die?

"Fine." I walk away, back in the direction we've came from.

Peeta chases after me, having handed Hanna to my mother. He spins me around to face him. "You aren't going to kill yourself." He says.

"Well Finnick wants me to!"

"Who gives a fuck what Finnick wants? I don't want you to! I'm not going to let you!"

"Well I'm going home anyways. Let the bastard find me."

…..a…

"Katniss," Gale says over the pager back to me. "No. I'm not going to let you do it. I order you to stand down."

I grit my teeth. They managed to make me stay, and Finnick apologized a thousand times over, and when I kept ignoring him, he starts crying and finally I told him to man up and stop crying over his sister. I told him I wasn't going to kill myself.

"Ah, newsflash asshole…I don't work for you." We went back to town though. We're somewhere in the middle of the country. I think maybe Iowa, maybe Nebraska, or possible Kansas.

I make my family panic by walking over to the payphone and dialing Cato.

He picks up. "Yeah?" he asks.

"You want me dead?" I ask.

"Ew, it's you."

"Do you want to kill me, yes or no?"

"Yes, I do." He says.

"Good." I tell him where to meet me, and I hang up before he can answer.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?" Dad starts screaming at me.

I walk out to the field with my shotgun and wait.


	11. Chapter 11

Everyone is hiding in the trees, way far into the forest that they can't see what's actually going on. I'm tossing the grenade around in my hand.

I want him to come for me. I stare at my shotgun and put it in my pocket. I hear his evil laugh and look up. He's standing right in front of me. I'm surprised I didn't hear him walk up. He didn't see me put the gun away though. I know the family is probably trying to get to me.

He shoots me though; twice in the left arm and once in the leg.

"Get up." he hisses. "I'm going to make sure you go through hell for this."

I struggle, but manage to get on my feet. My fists clench and unclench.

"You're alone. You have no chance of someone saving you. I'm going to make sure it's slow." He laughs. "If I'm lucky, you'll bleed to death." He pulls out a pocket knife and grabs my wrist. I'm losing way too much blood right now, and every drip seems to take energy from me. He slits them. It's not deep enough to be fatal, but still, I'm losing blood again.

I can't let him cut me again. "I'm actually going to rape you, because you've got nice tits. I know." He grins. "I've seen them." He laughs softly. "You remember that, don't you?" I don't answer him. He pins me so I can't move.

God, I have no way of getting out of this one.

I should have taken Gale's advice. I should have listened to my family.

I don't want him inside of me. I don't want him inside of me.

_Think Katniss, think!_

"If you think you're going to rape me, you're out of your damn mind!" I shout at him.

"Shut up!" he slaps me, and my anger rises and I slap him back. Adrenaline pours through my entire body, and I heave in a deep breath and flip and dig my gun out of my pocket.

"You want me dead? You killed my step-dad, you fucking cunt!"

"So? He wouldn't tell me where you are!" he snaps. I rip the knife from his hand.

"I'm going to kill you. I'm going to make you pay for all the shit you've put me through." I hiss. "But I'm a better person than you are, so I'm going to make it quick."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he shouts. I grab the grenade and remove the pin, and then I drop it at my feet. The handle falls off like it's supposed to and shoot him in the stomach so he falls, and then I run.

It explodes and the impact sends me in the air. I land on my stomach with a thumb, and my hands cover my head as debris fly all over the place, showering me with rocks and dirt and grass. I don't move for a long time, one, because I'm afraid that he's still somehow alive, and two, because I don't know how much longer I'm going to last without medical attention.

I'm not even sure if I'm alive anymore.

I hear my name being shouted, and what sounds like crying, and then I hear the sound of running feet.

"Fuck, you exploded him?" Johanna asks. "Kat?" she nudges me. "He shot her. Three times. We need to get her to the hospital."

"He slit her wrist too."

"I'm awake." I groan. "I'm not going to the hospital.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not! Can someone help me up please?"

"Well what do you expect to do?" Mom snaps. I look at Cato's knife. It's still perfectly intact. It flew five feet from me.

Peeta helps me sit against a tree.

"What are you going to do without a hospital? Bleed out?" He asks angrily.

"No. Give me my bag and that knife please." I point lazily at Cato's knife. Peeta picks up the knife and hands it to me, and hands me my bag.

I use the matches to start a fire.

"God, are you going to brand it so it stops bleeding?" Mom asks.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do. Can someone take the girls elsewhere?"

Brandon and Katie do it. I get one of my old T-Shirts and put it on my lap to be ready.

I use my right hand, and chomp down hard on the inside of my cheek, and then I stick my fingers in the oozing bullet hole and fight back a scream as I search to see if there's a bullet. I do it twice to my arm and once to my leg.

There's not a bullet in any of them. I'm breathing heavily.

"You need to go to the hospital." Annie says, probably not wanting to watch.

"I'd rather _die_ than go to the hospital."

"Why won't you go to the hospital?" Peeta demands.

Johanna sighs in anger. "If she goes to the hospital, the whole event of her killing Cato will go public and she will have people at her doorstep 24/7. If she doesn't go, they can say Cato killed himself. It's as simple as that."

"Well I'm not going to help you press a red hot knife to a bullet hole." Mom says to me.

"I can do it myself." I hiss.

"I'll help then." Johanna says. She sticks the knife in the flame, wrapping the handle in the shirt, so she doesn't burn herself. "Ready?"

"Just do it when I don't expect it." I hiss. "If you ask if I'm ready-" she does it, and I scream and stuff the hem of my shirt in my mouth. "Fuck."

"You were saying?" Johanna asks.

"I said if you ask when I'm ready, I'm going to-" she does the second bullet hole and I scream again. "Fuck!"

"Okay, now finish your sentence." She says.

"I _said_," and my voice is weaker, "That if you ask when I'm ready I'm going to expect it, and if and I expect it, it's going to be a million times worse."

"Oh, yeah, I bet." She does my wrist next, and it's so painful that the world starts spinning.

"God, that really fucking hurts."

"I bet it does." She laughs.

"I would not be able to do that." Rye says. "How is a chick tougher than I am?"

"It's excruciating."

"Hanna, come back!" Katie screams. I hear her running feet, and she comes running through the trees hysterical.

"Stop it you're hurting her! Don't hurt my Mommy! I'll hurt you!"

"She isn't hurting me Hanna." I say.

"You look sad!" she stomps her foot. "Daddy, make them stop!" she sits down and starts crying harder. Peeta picks her up and starts talking to her, and walks away.

Johanna does my leg, and this one has to be the worst.

I scream to loud, for like, five minutes, and I try to stop but I can't. "God, oh my fucking god, please tell me we're done." I whimper.

"We're done." Johanna says. She stomps the fire out. "Okay?"

"Been better, but okay, now let's get the hell out of here. I need a real bed and warm food and a fucking shower. And I need a warm bath and a fuzzy blanket."

"You're making my mouth water and you aren't even talking about food." Mom chuckles.

I hear Hanna screaming somewhere in the forest, and then I hear her running. She's crying harder than I've ever seen. She crawls into my lap, being very careful of my bad leg. "Mommy." She whimpers.

"I'm okay." I run my hand attached to my good arm, my right one, through her hair.

She starts feeling my chest. "Where's your heart. I want to feel it's still there!" she cries. I take her hand and move it to the right side of my chest.

"See? It's still there. I'm okay."

"Do you promise you won't die on me?"

"I promise." I whisper.


	12. Chapter 12

I know it's hard for everyone. I can't walk, so I'm being carried. The guys all switch off carrying me. Peeta insists he's fine, but they insist. It's awkward being _carried_ like a little kid, but whatever, I don't even care. The pager got exploded, so we have no way of contacting anyone.

Gale knew where I was telling Cato to meet him at.

"Alright, let me have her." Peeta says.

"Why?" Rye asks.

"Because I said."

"I can walk, really, I can!" I insist.

"No you can't." Peeta says. "I'm keeping her, just letting you guys know. She weighs like five pounds."

"Peet, you're going to get tired." Finn says.

"But she's my fiancée and I'm keeping her. You would do the same for Annie, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Exactly,"

Finn is so attached to Hanna. He won't stop holding her. She's on his back right now.

I guess it's the same for Peeta.

"You need to sleep so your body can make more blood to get you stronger and help you heal. You need blood to heal." Mom says. She keeps telling me, but for some reason, the only time I can fall asleep is when Peeta is holding me. When I'm shared, I can't sleep.

Peeta has probably noticed this, and the last thing I hear before I doze off is his soft chuckle.

….a….

I hear music.

Music, did I think that correctly?

No, not music. A TV.

Yes, most definitely a TV. I feel a soft warm object beneath me and when I open my eyes, I'm staring at my ceiling fan.

I'm home?

Yes, I must be home. I hear something cooking in the kitchen, and I'm all clean and whoever bathed me had to have been bathing _with_ me, because there is no way I'm this clean without someone physically holding my unconscious self up and washing me.

Ew, who took a shower with me?

I shudder and drag my ass out of bed and stand up, but I fall to the floor with the thud and use my right arm and my left leg to crawl to the door and open it. I sit down in the doorway, just as Peeta comes out of the kitchen. Hanaa looks much better, and she's sleeping on the couch. Peeta rushes over to me and picks me up.

"Hi." He kisses me. "How are you?"

"I'm okay. Peeta, who took a bath with me?"

"A shower and it was me. Don't worry…I didn't like…do anything to you."

I smile. "I wouldn't mind very much if you did."

"Good. You must be hungry." He carries me to the kitchen and sets me down on the counter. "I told Gale what really happened with Cato. He said he would announce to Obama what really happened and then request for him to say that Cato died from infection. He did it, and Obama said what Gale requested, thank god."

"Well right after you fell asleep we hit the town. Johanna phoned Gale and a helicopter came and got us. We were still in Massachusetts."

"I thought we were in the middle of the country."

"Me too," He admits. "I think we all did, but really, it felt like we'd walked so far."

"Yeah, I know." I mumble.

"Anyways, here's your warm food." He hands me a plate of warm apple cinnamon pancakes.

I lick my lips and look at Peeta. "You didn't have-"

He kisses me. "I wanted to."

...8...

Hanna started crying when she found out I was awake, and she hasn't let go of my hand since. That was yesterday and she finally went to bed and let go of me. "Peeta." I mumble. It's early in the morning. My head is on his chest and his hand is running up and down my back, slipped beneath my t-shirt.

"Hmm?" He mumbles.

I shut my eyes. "I love you." He kisses the top of my head.

"I love you too."


	13. Chapter 13

"Okay, and you'll be home on Christmas Eve right?" Peeta asks for clarification.

I'm going out to town for 'work' as far as Peeta knows, but really, I'm going to Johanna because I'm fucking terrified of Peeta's reaction and I need her help.

So yes, I lied and told him I'm going out of town for work, everyone actually, except for Gale, Jackson and Boggs. They know the truth. Johanna knows I'm coming, and she said she would cover for me.

"Right." I reply.

"Okay. Be careful baby. I love you." he runs his fingers through my hair and kisses me.

"I love you too." I look at Hanna. "Come here, give me a hug honey." She walks over to me and gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Call when you land honey." Mom says.

"I will. Bye guys, I love you."

"Love you too." Cress says. I walk out and slam the door.

Thank god they're not even suspicious.

….a….

"You look so much better than the last time I saw you." Johanna says. "You're not all dirty and bloody."

"That's because I'm healed." I reply.

She snorts. "So I took time off for this." She opens the refrigerator. "Want a beer?"

"Oh, no, I can't." I shake my head. She narrows her eyes and gets one for herself.

"So…" she sits down across from me. "You lied to everyone and told them you were going out of town for work. I'm covering for you. Don't you think I deserve an explanation as to why you lied just so you could come and see me?"

"Yeah, you do sort of deserve an explanation." I mumble.

She takes a long swig of her beer and eyes me. "Something's up. You're afraid of something. And I know you Brainless, you're like my sister. This has to do with you and Peeta, and even Hanna. What's going on inside that head of yours?" she points the tip of her glass bottle at my head and takes another gulp.

I bite my lip. "Jo…" I take a deep breath.

"Sure you don't want a beer?" she asks.

"No Johanna, I can't have a beer."

"You can't or you don't want to?" she asks.

"I _can't_." I reply.

She narrows her eyes, and then sits back so the two back legs of her chair are on the floor and the two front legs are in the air, and she props her feet on the kitchen table and takes another sip. "You're pregnant, aren't you?"

I let out a long breath. "Yeah Jo...I'm pregnant."

"Are you legit?" she asks.

"Yes I'm _legit_." I reply. "I panicked. I was at work and I started feeling really nauseous and I threw up in the bathroom and Gale was being all noisy and he made a joke that I was pregnant and I told him it was impossible, and it was impossible because the doc said about three years ago that I was unable to ever have children. I told Peeta we never needed to worry about a condom because I took the pill, when really I was just stalling so I didn't have to tell him I couldn't have kids. So I never took the pill, and we had sex in the shower and I didn't take the pill, but now I'm pregnant and I'm scared. I thought I couldn't have kids? Why am I pregnant? What the fuck is going on? Is Peeta going to be mad that I didn't take the pill? Is he going to be mad that I never told him I couldn't have kids?"

"Why didn't you just tell him in the first place?" she asks.

"That I was pregnant or that I couldn't have kids?"

"That you couldn't have kids,"

"Because…I was insecure about our relationship because Peeta's always wanted kids! If he found out I couldn't have kids, he would leave me!"

"First of all," she takes a long sip of her beer. "Peeta leaving you is the stupidest thing I think I've ever heard come out of your damn mouth. Second, maybe the fertility test that said you couldn't have kids was false. How old was your doctor at the time?"

"Like…twenty three."

"He must have been new. He probably read the test wrong. That's why you're pregnant. He's a dumbass doctor."

"Johanna, Peeta and I broke up before and he didn't try to stop me!"

She slams her beer down on the table so hard that is shatters in her hand, but she ignores the blood coming from her palm and she stands up. "He didn't try to stop you because all he wants is for you to be happy! He didn't try to stop you because you told him to leave you the fuck alone! You said you were done with inconsiderate assholes and you didn't want to be with him anymore! You wanted to leave and he loves you, and he wanted, and still wants for you to be happy! He let you go because you wanted to leave!"

"I know." I mutter.

"This time is different. Now you have a beautiful daughter and another kid on the way. Now you're engaged and you're not ruthless teenagers anymore. Peeta's smarter now. He's going to talk you out of leaving whenever you want to go, because he loves you. When you go home on Christmas Eve, I'm coming with you. One, because I have nowhere else to go and I've decided I'm spending Christmas with you guys and two, because I'm going to make sure things go good enough that when you vet into a fight, which you will, I'll make sure you have makeup sex. Fair?" she asks.

"Fair." I sigh. "Your hand is bleeding."

"Yeah, I realize that." She pauses. "I hope you know I'm taking you to the store right now." She says.

"For what?"

She laughs. "Baby clothes you dumbass. I need to spoil my god child."

"Johanna," I laugh. "I don't even know what the baby's sex is. The only proof I have that I am actually pregnant is a plastic stick with a yes on it."

"Well then we are going to go to the doctors, right now."


	14. Chapter 14

**Just letting you know...my next story is going to be another bully story. I'm not ending this right now, but when I do, this is what you can expect, unless i change my mind.**

**Yes I am still going to write You're Mine sequel, i'm just not doing it right now.**

PEETA'S POV

Katniss left for work three days ago and Christmas Eve is in two days, so Dad sent me and Hanna to the store with Rye and Graham and Barley to get stuff for Christmas Eve dinner.

"Wait, we need bread?" Rye asks. "He said bread, right?"

"Why don't you look at the list, dipshit?" Barley laughs.

"Daddy, what's a dipshit?" Hanna asks. I look down at her and shoot a glare to my brothers.

"That is a word that you are not allowed to say, okay?"

"Okay." She says.

"Hey, your Katniss's partner, right?" Graham asks, and we all look up to see Gale Hawthorne.

He looks at us and his eyes widen.

"Wait, I thought Katniss was out of town for work. If she was out of town for work, they doesn't she have her team with her?"

He looks down at his phone, and then runs.

Katniss lied.

But if she isn't out of town for work, where the hell is she?

KATNISS'S POV

"Peeta's calling you." Johanna says.

Peeta doesn't call me when I'm at work. He never has because I told him he could get me killed if he does.

I chew on my bottom lip and explain this to Johanna.

"Maybe he knows." She shrugs. Just answer the phone and put it on speaker. I won't say anything, I swear."

I sigh. "Yeah?" I ask after pressing answer and putting it on speaker.

"Where are you?" he asks.

"I told you I was out of town-"

"You're lying." And it's not Peeta, it's Mom.

"No I'm not lying."

"Yes you are because I ran into Gale. Gale is on your fucking team Katniss. You never go anywhere without your team." Peeta says.

Johanna grabs her white board and starts writing frantically. _Tell him you are at Prim's. I'll text her and tell her to cover for you._

"I'm at Prim's."

"Bullshit! Prim's sitting right next to me."

I run my fingers roughly through my hair and mutter "Shit."

"Katniss," Dad begins. "Where are you?"

"I'm…" I look at Jo for help. She writes; _hang up!_ I shake my head.

"Are you art Johanna's? Everyone is here but Johanna."

"No." I lie again.

"Well then _where are you_?" Finn asks.

"I uh…" _Gosh, how am I going to get out of this?_ "Can you just wait till I get home so I can tell you there?"

"No, I think we kind of deserve to know where you are." Prim says.

"Well I'm not telling."

"Why not?" Peeta asks. "Dammit Katniss, did you leave because you were mad? You _are_ coming back, right?"  
"Yes, I'm coming back! I really will be back on Christmas Eve!"

"Good. When you get back, come to your Mom's." He hangs up.

Johanna's phone starts ringing and she snickers. "Your fiancé." She shakes her head and answers it. "Sup Loverboy." She says. She puts it on speaker and I put my phone on silent.  
"Is Katniss with you?"

"Brainless you mean?" she asks.

"You know I mean her." Peeta snaps. "Is she with you?"

"No, last time I saw her she was all unconscious and dirty and shit. Why?"

"Because she said she was going out of town for work but she isn't."

"Oh that's fucked up." She says. She looks at me and winks. "Did she tell you where out oftown she was going?"

"She said something about Wisconsin I think."

"Fuck. Want e to go look for her?"

"Nah, she'll be home sometime."

"Is there a reason she could have left?"

"No." then he sighs. "She had been acting a bit weird the day before she left." He says. "She was all jittery and she looked like she was going to get sick and every time she looked at me, she looked like she was going to cry."

Johanna sighs. "Maybe something happened."

"No. She was fine she just…she wasn't acting herself. She seemed nervous."

"Alright, well I've got shit to do, people to shoot. Call me if you hear anything, alright?"

"Yeah, be careful."

"Yeah, yeah, bye." She hangs up.

"How the hell do you lie so well?"

She grins. "Years of practice."

…a…

I almost knock, but I decide not to. I'm home, it's Christmas Eve and I'm terrified of the fight I know is going to happen. Johanna shoves past me and walks into the house. "Guess who lied bitches!" she says. I force myself to come into the house and shut the door.  
Everyone glares at us.

"You where with Johanna the whole time?" Peeta asks.

"Yes…" I look down.  
"And you couldn't have just said 'hey Peeta I'm going to go to Johanna's for a bit.' could you?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"Because if I told you that, you would want to know why!"

"And you couldn't just tell me why instead of lying and saying it was for work?"

"No, I couldn't lie!"

"Why? You seem perfectly fine at lying to me!" he snaps.

"I lied because I saw scared!" I snap, and tears start welling in my eyes.

"Don't you start crying! This is your fault anyways!" he says.

Johanna backs up and opens her purse and gets out a beer.

"I know it's my fucking fault!"

"Why'd you leave? Tell me right now or…" he thinks. "Or we'll break up."

"NO!" Hanna screams, and Dad picks her up and starts calming her down.

"You want to know why I left?" I ask, and my voice is rising. "I left because three years ago I was told I could never have kids and I was scared to tell you so I lied and told you that you didn't need to use protection because I was on the pill!" I shout. "And then I threw up at work a few days ago and I found out I was pregnant and I panicked and I went to Johanna because she's my best friend and I was scared you were going to hate me!" I'm crying now. "And you don't need to leave because I'm going to leave!"

"You are _not_ leaving." He says.

"Yes I am, and you can't stop me!" I shout.

He blocks the door. "Letting you leave five years ago was the biggest mistake of my life and I'm _not_ going to repeat it."

"Are you forgetting I can kick your ass?" I hiss.

"Which you won't." he says.

"Why won't I?"

"Because you're _pregnant_ and you _love_ me. Am I wrong?" he searches my eyes.

"No." I pick at my fingernails. "I love you but it doesn't mean I'm not pissed at you. And you were going to leave until you found out I was pregnant. Are you staying for me, or for the baby and Hanna, or for all three of us?"

"All three of you, Katniss, gosh, you should know that."

"Well I'm sorry that I didn't know that." I cross my arms.

"If you guys want to go and…" Johanna chews on her bottom lip, fighting a smirk. "_Make up_…I'll watch the kid."

"Okay." I grab Peeta's wrist and pull him out the door with me.


	15. Chapter 15

"I love you." He nuzzles his nose into my shoulder and rests there.

"I love you too. You are so cute."

"I'm _cute_?" he asks, and I laugh.

"Yes."

He lets out a long breath and kisses my neck and starts moving downward. "Round three?" he asks.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Four." He mumbles, sucking lightly on my shoulder.

"We could miss dinner." I warn.

"They'll heat it up." he whispers.

"Fine, but we need to be quick."

"You never last long anyways." He snorts. "So that's a yes?"

"Yes."

…..a…..

"Where did you guys go?" Hanna asks when we walk in the door. Mom had texted me and told me that all of our side of the family was here and so was all of Peeta's. She said that everyone was dressed up for the holidays and if she showed up not dressed up she would be very embarrassed to be my mother.

"Holy fuck," Justice, Peeta's cousin says. "How the fuck did you manage to get a whore like that?" he asks Peeta.

"She isn't a whore, Justice. Shut your mouth."

"Well, she looks sexy." Rye says.

I'm in a long sleeve lacy short skintight dress and red heels. I didn't really have anything else that was Christmas related except for one dress and I'm wearing it tomorrow.

Mom lives with Mr. Mellark, so they're in a huge house.

"Hey beautiful," Kegan says. "You should give me your number. You know that code that connects you to me? That code that just so happens to be your beautiful ass number."

"Kegan." Peeta hisses.

"Have you guys actually fucked?" Justice asks.

"Well I'm pregnant, so why don't you answer that yourself."

"Mommy, where did you go?" Hanna asks. She's in one of Jess's dresses. It's white and flowing and she looks beautiful.

"I went home." I reply.

"Why?" she asks. "Auntie Jo Jo said you were going to make up with Daddy. What does that mean?"

"That means we were going to fix that fight."

Her bottom lip starts to tremble. "You are going to stay together?"

"Yes we are. Don't cry. Santa comes tonight, remember?" Her eyes light up.

"I almost forgotten! We need to make cookies!"

"You almost forgot. Not forgotten honey, that's improper."

"Oh. I almost forgot!"

"Let's bake cookies." Peeta says.

….a….

After dinner, Hanna and Peeta made cookies. Prim just tried to take one and Hanna _hit_ her, and now she's sitting in timeout, crying her eyes out.

"Kat come on, it didn't even hurt." Prim says.

"She's seven years old. She isn't allowed to hit people." I reply.

"But she's been sitting there for like thirty seconds." She complains.

"She needs to learn what is okay and what is not okay, and letting her get away with it is not okay." Peeta says.

And then my phone starts ringing.

"You are not going to work." Peeta says. "Not today. Not tomorrow. Not for the next ten months."

"Thirteen months." Mom corrects.

"Thirteen months." Peeta says.

I answer it anyways. "You aren't coming to work for the next like thirteen months because your pregnant." Gale says.

"Last time I checked, you worked for me."

"And last time I checked the director of the FBI, James B. Comey, you worked for him. He said you aren't coming to work for thirteen months."

"Is that why your calling me?" I ask.

"That and we have this new case and I think you'll get a kick out of it."

"What is it?" I ask.

"Someone came into the station and asked to speak to whoever was in charge. Since you aren't here, Boggs came. The lady said she was driving down the highway and some dumbass had a dead body wrapped up in a tarp, strapped to the bike rack on the back of his car."

I try not to laugh, but I start laughing and so does Gale. "That's hilarious." I admit. "Are you really working today though? On Christmas Eve?"

"Um...yeah."

"Go home Gale. Tell Boggs and Jackson the same thing.

"Are you sure?" He asks.

"Yeah."

"Alright. Bye." He hangs up.

"Why are you laughing so hard?" Peeta asks.

"I'm really not supposed to tell you because it's classified but a lady came into the station and asked to speak to whoever was in charge, which is Boggs because I'm not there. The lady said she was driving down the highway and saw that some idiot had a dead body wrapped up in a tarp and strapped to the bike rack on the back of the car."

"Why is that funny? It's a dead person."

"Because when people kill people they dump the body somewhere. They don't put them on the back of a car for everyone to see."

"Why do you think he did it?" Peeta asks. They don't really see me when I'm trying to figure out a crime.

"Obviously the guy has problems. He probably wants to get back at someone for serving and wants revenge so he's killing people left and right."

"Do you think he'll be easy to catch?"

"Yeah. Someone will write down his license plate. Then they can just go to his house. They would know where he is before tomorrow if I didn't tell them to go home."

"Oh." Peeta says.

"Katniss?" Mom asks carefully, and when I look at her she looks scared to ask the question.

"Yeah?"

"How many people have you killed?"

No, I'm wrong. She's scared for the answer to the question.

"Ten." I reply.

"Ten?" She stands up. "Ten people? Why? Katniss!"

"Mom, you don't understand."

"You have personally killed ten people! What the fuck! This is not how I raised you!"

"Oh yeah?" I ask, angry. "Number one. Wayne Williams. He killed 29 children and two adults. I told him to put the gun down and he didn't so it's my job to keep my ass alive to shoot him. Number two. Dean Marcus. He would abduct and torture little boys until they died. I told him to put the gun down again and he didn't. Once again, I has to shoot him. Three. John Parker. He threw some party and killed everyone that showed up. He was a very popular political figure. I killed him for the same reason I killed the last two. Four is Gary Ridge. He abducted prostitutes and raped them and killed them. I killed him for the same reason. I killed everyone for the same reason!"

Mom crosses her arms. "Continue,"

"Fine. Number five, Moses Way. He raped people left and right. Males, female, children. He didn't care. When I saw he had a little six month old baby, I lost it. I remember I was screaming at him and he actually shot me in the shoulder."

"What?" She asks.

"Yeah, see?" I pull back the sleeve and show her the scar.

"Oh." She frowns. "Keep going though. I think we've all wanted to know your back story with your job." Everyone nods in agreement.

"Okay. Number six, Alexis Pryor. She was bat-shit crazy. She was a big girl and she picked up hitch hikers and killed them by shooting, stabbing or suffocating them. Number seven, Horance Jaconson. He was only able to get 'pleasure' by stabbing or slashing his victims instead of just raping them. He was the only one I didn't kill because he wouldn't put down his weapon."

"Why'd you kill him?" Mom asks.

"Because I was walking to my car and he grabbed me and took me to this shack." I show her the scar on my arm. "I realized it was him and I killed him."

"Holy shit." Johanna says.

"Yeah. Anyways. Number eight, Daryl Gordon. He killed three hundred girls just for the hell of it. Number nine was Dixie. You already know everything with her. And then ten was Cato." I sit back down.

"What did he do to you?" Johanna blurts.

"I didn't even hear him walk up. He shot me three times and made me get up. Then he slit my wrist and was talking about how he was going to torture me and make it as slow as possible. We were fighting for a while, but I got him off of me. I told him I was going to kill him. I pulled the pin on the grenade, dropped it, shot him in the stomach and ran." The impact sent me airborne and I laid where you guys found me because one, I didn't know if I could move and two, because I thought I was dead." I walk to the kitchen.

Peeta follows me.

"You know," Peeta whispers, sneaking up behind me to rest his chin on my shoulder and his hands on my belly. "You are an FBI agent. I so called it."

**This is the end of this story. **


End file.
